Friday, January 31, 2014

World War II has always intrigued me, especially segmented stories about unique individuals touched by its wrath. The Book Thief is such a movie. It is about a young girl named Liesel whose family is torn apart, and her struggle to come to terms with it.

Throughout the background of the film, there is a sense of the tragedy and devastation that took place during WWII. Hardship was plentiful, even for the Germans. An underlying message escapes. A lot of average German citizens didn’t always agree with Hitler. Most were scared – of their changing culture, the war and even Hitler. Some risked their lives to remain true to their beliefs. As it happens, quite a few Germans were simply afraid of their government and didn’t know what to do about it. Their country had been taken over by Hitler, and there was little if anything they could do to stop him on their own.

Food was scarce for many Germans during WWII. They were treated poorly, especially if they tried to take a stand in favor of human rights. Bombs were exploding throughout the country, and various neighborhoods and communities ended up in piles of rubble, complete with the loss of German lives.

The impact and lessons learned from WWI were not lost on them. Some of the characters we meet in The Book Thief, served in WWI and were now facing the terror of serving in WWII as well. As a whole, the German people did not want to go to war again. I think it’s safe to say very few citizens in countries throughout the world, actually wanted to participate in another world war.

At a time when Liesel might choose to be stealing food, she chose instead to borrow books. Reading gave her a new window with which to view the world; it gave her hope and the courage to face her unknown future.

I’m not going to spoil the movie for you. It’s far too good for that. There is so much this film has to offer. It truly inspires and touches one’s heart and soul, lifting them up and making them reach toward bigger thoughts and revelations. I hope you’ll take the time to see The Book Thief, because you won’t be disappointed if you do.

Thank you for visiting and commenting on Writing Tips today. I’ll see you again soon.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Depressing is the first word that comes to mind, when reading Chasing Charlie. I’m not sure what possessed me to keep reading, except that I knew my review would benefit writers and readers alike. You can’t imagine how many times I wanted to put this book down, never to read another word.Chasing Charlie is about a middle-aged man diagnosed with cancer. For those of us who know the story all too well, having been touched personally by terminal cancer in our lives, this story is all too painful. For those who might be blessed to have missed such sorrow, it’s good to remember that not all cancer stories are this grueling.

Chasing Charlie was long, in that every conversation, experience, attitude, action, unspoken thought, feeling and pain was shared. Nothing is spared for the reader, nothing left to the imagination or emotion from within. So much so, that in comparison, it was like an artist continuing to paint, and spoiling what could have been a very beautiful painting.

Putting it mildly, the story was simply overwritten. It dragged on and on and on. Repetition not withstanding, multiple chapters of the main character telling everyone of importance that he was diagnosed, was way over the top. Newman didn’t stop there, however. Chemotherapy, stopping work, developing relationships as his body deteriorated, hospice, the wake followed by the funeral – all were written with so much detail, morosely so, that Chasing Charlie probably had the opposite intended response from me than was desired or expected.

There were so many times that I tossed my Kindle on the couch and said, “I get it already! Would you please move on and get to the point already!” Seriously, I did this through all 61 chapters and the epilogue.

Finally, when I was in the 50’s of chapters, I had something to laugh about. I’d’ve is not a word! I about busted a gut when it showed up in the manuscript. Up to this point, I was more than a little frustrated with the lack of editing, odd word sequences, duplicate word phrases where clearly, Newman probably needed to hit the backspace button a few more times, before continuing her thoughts. Technical difficulties – no, this was nothing less than poor editing, I’m sorry to say.

Somewhere beneath all the never-ending drama, devastating series of events and tragic happenings, a story was revealed. It was the story about a little boy named Charlie, who lost both his parents by the age of six. Unfortunately, it was completely overshadowed by the details of his father’s cancer and death, and was lost in translation. Charlie was a supporting character, not the focus of the story, a story that would have been so much better, had he been the star of the show, in my opinion.

M.J. asked for a post about the non-writing side of me. Coming up with something has proven shockingly difficult. Because, you see, my non-writing life is pretty boring. I live in the suburbs of Chicago with my husband of 20+ years and 2.5 children (with the half child being a sassy bunny wabbit). When I’m not doing the thing I’m not supposed to talk about in this post, I do regular mom-of-teenager things and various marketing thingies for a local retail boutique. I also take on occasional editing projects, and when I do, they consume me. I like to get out in my yard and do a bit of gardening. I also enjoy working out, reading, and eating…cooking, not so much. Most of my extended family lives nearby, so there are always family gatherings, and I have lots of wonderful friends that I occasionally get together with, though not as often as I should. See? Perfectly—and blessedly—boring.

But don’t stop yawning yet. I grew up in the western Chicago suburbs—my parents still live in the same house—and I went to college at Eastern Illinois University during the 80s. Those were some pretty good times, as you can see by my big grin in the photo (me and my hair are in the middle, and I’m happy to say that I’m still friends with the lovelies on either side of me). I earned a BS in Finance, and after graduation I took a job in the city at an investment consulting firm. My salary was embarrassingly small, so I thought the best way to preserve my dignity was to take advantage of the company’s 100% tuition reimbursement policy, and I earned my MBA from DePaul University. Somewhere in there I got married to the bloke that stuck during the college years.

I landed a good job at a small but prestigious consulting firm in the city, bought a cute house in an affluent suburb, and was living the dream. Except on the way to my stressful job each morning, I started thinking about stopping in the middle of the train tracks and not moving. That didn’t seem like a good sign. But not to worry, I had a ticket out: babies. I’d been a tyrant with the finances because I wanted to be able to stay home with my kids, and with the good Lord’s cooperation, I was able to. Once free of school and job, my obsessions turned decidedly creative—in the form of home decorating, landscaping, themed parties, clever cakes, intricate invitations. The kids went to school, and my next obsession was the grade school PTA. I loved those years, but as always seems to happen, I found myself in over my head, and I de-stressed by finally indulging in that thing I’m not supposed to talk about in this post. I think you can guess the current obsession.

Price your product accordingly, so people will see and want its value.

Product can be anything. It can be tangible items, marketable skills or expertise, experience and background.

Placement of product depends on what the product is. Some products have more than one place, while others cater to niche markets.

Promotion of product relies on perception of product. Some products do well with hands-on promotion, while others gain popularity through grassroots, word of mouth efforts, advertising media and social networking.

Pricing product varies with the marketplace. If the market is saturated with a particular product or products of its kind, the price should reflect this. If the product is original, unique or rare, its value may be elevated, dependent upon the economic principles of supply and demand.

Naming a product requires an intense process. Names should be catchy and easy to remember. They should also reflect what the product is or does, without leading consumers astray. Creativity is important, but not to the point of confusing or misleading one’s audience.

Product identity should be incorporated in the naming process. Logos, badges and insignias should be designed with simplicity, so they are easy to identify across the board. Colors and backgrounds should not obstruct the emblem or symbol representing a product.Consider the many names and identities of products we all know and love.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Debra Bory’s is the author of Bend Me Shape Me, a book listed on my Recommended Reading page. She has graciously accepted my invitation to share a little bit about herself on Writing Tips. Without further ado, I present to you, Debra Bory’s response to my invitation.MJ has presented me with a challenge. She has invited me to write an autobiographical-of-sorts guest post that will give readers of my work some insight into who I am and how I grew to be this way. The challenge is two-fold. First, I am not at all sure myself of the answer to either question. Secondly, I recently asked this myself a few months ago on my own blog, so how do I address the subject without sounding repetitive?

If you read the post linked above, you will see it is written in a rather cynical tone. I admonish my readers to “fear the love bug” because it may bite. Yet, just the other day I wrote a post entitled “And Love Remains” which portrays me as a romantic and sentimental woman, rather than a cynic. Which picture is the true me? The answer, of course, is both. No, I don’t have multiple personality disorder (not that’s ever been diagnosed at least) but who doesn’t understand that we are all many layered in our personalities and experiences?

This dichotomy is reflected in what I write, and one reason I chose to publish some of my work under the pseudonym Deb Donahue, which was my maiden name. My Borys books and stories reflect the dark side of life that I truly believe we must look at and address rather than try to ignore and gloss over. Always looking on the bright side might the best method of dealing with pain and loss for some, but it has never been my preference. As I say in About Me on my Debra Borys site, “It’s how you deal with the darkness that counts.”

The Donahue side of me, like the young child/woman I was at the time, clings to the good that is out there, too. And there is so much of it: delicious food, and families, and people, and books— lots and lots of books that educate and inspire and encourage us to dream of more good that can be done in the world. As I write in my Donahue About Me page, the books that I read growing up were what inspired me to write myself.

Who am I as a person, MJ asked. The answer looks kind of messed up and confusing most of the time. Life’s highs and lows, contradictions, and sudden shifts have formed someone who can’t really answer that question, because I’m not “done” yet. I know who I was, I think I know who I’m becoming, but there is only one thing I can say with certainty. I wouldn’t be the woman who can now look at the darkness and deal with it if I hadn’t first been the woman who believed there is love and laughter and grace in the world.

I feel blessed to have “double vision” like this. While I still don’t see the whole elephant, knowing that there is more to life than just the trunk I am blindly clinging to has made me a more curious, more accepting person than I feel I would be otherwise. At least I know the truth of how we all see “but a poor reflection as in a mirror” and I fully look forward to seeing “face to face.” “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

It’s one of those things you never want to imagine happening. Then again, after 9/11, I believe we all know it could happen – the White House being taken over by terrorists, mutilated, destroyed and in battle.

To say this movie is disturbing is an understatement. Yet, as I sat on the edge of my seat, covering my eyes from time to time, being disturbed was the least of my problems. This movie was a reality check, one far too many of us don’t want to believe can come true.

Gerard Butler makes for a great hero, Morgan Freeman a true United States President, seeing us through catastrophe. Morgan Freeman’s role was so much easier to believe than Butler’s, btw.

Tugs on my patriotic heartstrings could not be ignored. This movie kicked me in the gut, reminding me once again what our Military goes through to keep us safe in this country. I’m a die hard patriot, and this movie made me want to stand up and salute the men and women fighting on the front lines, ever aware that taking our freedom for granted is not, and never will be an option.

Still, it was a bit unbelievable at times, watching one hero take on an entire army of terrorists. Never mind that the real president disregarded protocol, ultimately putting our United States in harms way. He was in the bunker, when Freeman had to take over to save the country.

And yet, it was almost too real not to believe it could happen, should we ever be foolish enough to let our guard down. We are America, however, and true to form, we always come out on top, shining the light on the top of that hill, a beacon for all, welcoming them to the home of the free and the brave.

You’ll want to see this movie. In fact, I might even watch it again.

Thank you for visiting and commenting on Writing Tips today. I’ll see you again soon.

Monday, January 13, 2014

It’s been quite a ride, as I launched my first Linky Tools blog hop last week. Intentions are good. However, fine-tuning was a must. To that end, I created a separate page for my Weekly Bible Verse Reflection Blog Hop today. I’m hoping this will make it easier for people to jump in and participate. There’s lots of opportunity to get extra links to your blog if you do. If nothing else, think of it as an exercise in writing or a writing prompt.

While I was at it, I went ahead and added a Prayer Requests 2014 page to the same blog. I’ve been praying for my friend all weekend, and this just seemed like a no brainer. So if you need prayers, or know someone who does, please be sure to add your request in the comments there.

As many of you know, I discovered pasting from Word is a no-no in the blogger platform. I feel obligated to share this information as much as possible, since so many of my blogging glitches are slowly disappearing now.

I’ve only partially edited four of my blogs, and the results have been well worth the effort. Not only am I showing up in people’s blog rolls again, but they are showing up in mine. I can’t tell you how many times I went to my dashboard, only to discover I wasn’t following any blogs. This glitch seems to be going by the wayside now, and I’m happily commenting on many blogs I’ve missed, since this whole disappearance act started, all thanks to pasting from Word in my blog.

The blog make over process seems to be coming along fairly well. I redesigned my Effectively Human blog yesterday, and while there’s still more to do there, am happy with the results so far. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

One thing to consider when fixing up your blog is width. I read a tip today about this. With all the different gadgets people use to read our blogs, it’s important not to make them too wide. Not everyone has a big screen anymore. In fact, many people read blogs in the palm of their hand.

Thanks for visiting and commenting on Writing Tips today. I’m currently working on another movie review, and am about halfway through with another book for my next book review. Stay tuned. You don’t want to miss these!

Mary Poppins is one of the first movies I saw on the big screen. As a little girl, I was thoroughly amused and thrilled, which is one reason I was so excited to see Saving Mr. Banks. The story behind the story is positively amazing and wonderful.

I remember sitting on my dad’s lap every Sunday night to watch The Wonderful World of Disney. It was with great pleasure that, as a mom, I collected all the Disney classics, to share with my kids when they were young. Now, seeing so many of those titles available on Netflix is delightful.

You have to know from watching these fine films, that Walt Disney was an amazing human being. Saving Mr. Banks affirms this in grand style. The efforts he and his staff took to bring the Mary Poppins book to life, are nothing short of phenomenal.

P. L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins, was a difficult woman, and that’s putting it mildly. She had her reasons, many of which are revealed in Saving Mr. Banks. No spoiler alerts here. You’ll simply have to see the film, if you want to find out.

There’s a reason this film has won so many awards already. It’s because it’s that good. Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are superb! All the supporting actors are superb! And the film itself was written and directed in fantastic style.

If you’re a fan of Disney in any way, shape or form, you’ll want to see Saving Mr. Banks. It’s that good, and learning a bit of background about the lengths Walt Disney went to, to get his movies made is well worth the price of a ticket. Not to mention, discovering the story behind the story, about how Mary Poppins came to life and became one of the world’s most favorite films.

Thank you for visiting Writing Tips today. I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

For the past few months I’ve heard from people telling me I’ve been dropped from their blog rolls and feeds, resulting in them being unable to get updates on my blogs. I tried to find out why, lacking the knowledge of where to look, what questions to ask and how to find a decent remedy that could fix the problem.

This past week, I learned the reason why and am now in the process of fixing it on all five of my blogs. The reason is because Blogger and Word platforms are not compatible. I’ve always pasted from Word into my blogs and never had a problem – or so I thought.

For those of you who paste from Word into your blog, and may be facing similar issues, whether you know it or not, I wrote a post for the A – Z Blog this morning, explaining how to fix the issue. I hope you’ll take the time to read this post, so you too can minimize problems on your Blogger blog.

Needless to say, I’ve only reformatted a few months of posts so far, and already have heard from many of my followers, who are suddenly getting dozens of updates on my blogs. Thankfully, they’re all just glad I’m finally back. (Truth is, I never left.) I’m sorry, but you’ll likely get quite a few more all at once, while I complete the process of fixing all my blog posts. It has to be done.

I’ve spent years developing these blogs and making them become what I want them to be. It’s a one-time fix, so please bear with me while I take the necessary steps to make my blogs (and each and every post) function correctly.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

It happens almost every year at this time. I start revamping my blogs and giving them a facelift. Usually inspired by the upcoming A – Z April Challenge, I hunker down and look for things to tweak, as well as a way to express my personal growth over the past year.

Last year at this time, I was all about being a professional blogger. My blogs represented my business and more reserved, serious side. Life kept happening all around me; the butterfly that emerged is more reflective this year, seeking only to publish my little online magazines, in hopes that many people find them informative, interesting and worth reading time and time again.

Yes, these five blogs I own are magazines to me. They have always been thought of as such, since blogs are defined as mini-websites. They are not personal diaries or a place to practice my writing. Each one has a specific focus, designed to reach its very own target audience.

Some of my magazines cater to unique niches, representing a specific aspect of my personality, creativity or belief system. I’m a writer, so naturally I have a writing blog (this one), where I share all sorts of things about writing, plus I write book and movie reviews, all of which get published here.

I also have a crochet blog. It’s amazing how many people crochet out there! Having a background in teaching, I enjoy sharing tutorials, as well as creating new patterns and designs. There isn’t a lot of chatter on this blog, as it’s meant to be a resource for crocheters and other people interested in yarn crafts.

My faith is very dear to me. I’m a Christian Catholic – seriously thinking about changing the name of my blog to something along these lines. I changed its title last year to Being Catholic. This was a spiritual growth spurt of mine. Prior to that it was called Catholic Catechism and More, or something like that. As I listen to the Lord speak to my heart, I realize that this blog needs to be more open to basic Christian beliefs. It needs to become a community, where people can develop and share their spirituality together, asking and answering questions along the way, and supporting each other on the journey.

FlashTyme is my flash fiction blog. I love this blog! It’s my place to tell stories and let my creative juices flow. There are no boundaries or rules here, other than the fact that it’s a place for short stories. Anything goes, whatever I can dream up and put into words is fair game here. My kids get a little weirded out by what I come up with sometimes, and so do I, if I’m being honest with you. But that’s why this blog is so much fun, because I can say anything and everything, as long as I do it in the form of a short story.

First and foremost, we’re all human and we’re all in this life together. Now I have no problem saving puppies, kittens and other animals. And as an avid gardener, I’m all for saving trees and being a friend to the universe. My only problem is that I want to help save the humans too. Aside from the fact that I’m one of them, I know how important it is to defend and help empower those who need our help. Human Rights is very important to me, which is why I started Effectively Human – a site dedicated to people without prejudice.

Over the course of the next few days and/or weeks, you’ll likely notice some ascetic changes to these blogs. I started the process last night, and won’t stop until I’m done. There are several things I’m looking at:

Does the background reflect my growth from the past year, and attitude going into the New Year?

Are my sites user-friendly?

Is it easy to follow me and find what you need?

Am I marketing myself effectively on my blogs? In other words, is my template easy to navigate, so you can find links to my other work that relates to the topic of them?

Is my color scheme easy on the eyes, or does it blind and scare you away? Is my type too small or fancy to read? Are my margins too narrow, making my formatting all wrong?

These and many other questions will be addressed in the revamping of my blogs in the coming days. For now, I leave you with this question,

If you can make your blog anything you want it to be, why not?

Thank you for visiting and commenting on Writing Tips today. I hope you’ll take some time to check out my other blogs and see what you might be missing there. Either way, I’m so glad you stopped by, and look forward to seeing you again soon. In the meantime, I hope this post proves valuable to you.

Search This Blog

Translate

About Me

I'm a free spirit, filled with creative energy! I enjoy doing many things, including gardening, sports, crafts, cooking, to name a few. For relaxation, I prefer to hang by a water source like the ocean, a river or lake, something like that. I also really enjoy getting lost in a good book, and of course, writing...sometimes nonstop...

Google+ Followers

Proud Member of...

Copyright Notice

No work posted on this site may be shared without written consent from the owner. Please contact me at mjjoachimswriting@gmail.com for more information, or to republish work found on this site. Thank you.

Note to Consumers

This site uses Google Adsense, which adds to my penny jar when you view and click on them (pay per 1,000 page views, pay per click revenue share). This is me complying with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Government Blogging Guidelines. As always, thank you for visiting and supporting this site.

Followers

Subscribe To

Follow by Email

Review Requests Welcome

M. J. does not receive any compensation for reviewing books, apps, products etc. Everything is reviewed based on its own merit, which M. J. thoughtfully and thoroughly considers prior to publishing reviews. It is strongly suggested that people requesting reviews follow this blog via email, since that is the easiest and fastest way to find out if M. J. has reviewed their submitted book or product. M. J. receives review requests consistently throughout each week, so please be patient while waiting for your review. If you would like your book reviewed, please email a copy of it to mjjoachimswriting@gmail.com Thank you.